Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor, Akwa Ibom State.
By Abasifreke Effiong
Against the rumour that the Akwa Ibom State Government has abandoned payment of gratuities to retired primary school teachers after a verification exercise carried out in March, 172 retired teachers who were screened have been paid.
The Dune gathered exclusively that between April 19th when the state government begun payment to the retired teachers and their next-of-kin and second week of May, 172 persons were paid.
The payment was done in three batches according to the payment schedule and documents shared between the State Treasury Headquarters and the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, sighted by this reporter.
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The payment schedule show that 67 persons were paid in the first batch, 96 and 9 persons were paid in the second and third batch, in that order.
While some next of kin of retired primary school teachers who were screened during the state-wide verification exercise who are yet to be paid have said that government has abandoned the payment exercise, a group speaking for widows and next-of-kin of the retired teachers said the government released less than N100 million for the payment.
Writing under the group name, Verified Widows and next of kin of primary school teachers, Mr. Benjamin Benson and Rev. David Essien, in an open letter to Governor Udom Emmanuel dated May 7, said the government only approved N70 million for the payment and accused the Office of the State Accountant General of holding back part of the N70 million allegedly approved.
“The N70 million you released recently to settle entitlements of dead teachers benefits (Pension, gratuity) is the first time you are approving any money after six years of your tenure. This amount is too little, too late, contemptuous.
“As at today, out of three hundred vulnerable cases that are in critical condition, only five persons could be paid. That amount could not pay everyone within the year 1990 – 2000. As a fact, less than 1% of those that have been verified has so far been paid.
“On whose order is the State Accountant General keeping back part of the paltry N70 million?”, the group asked.
Against the group’s claim, independent investigation by this reporter revealed that a little above N215 million has so far been paid to the retired teachers and their next of kin who were screened recently, according to government’s official documents on the payment.
The state government says it is trying to clear almost four decades of backlog of gratuities owed retired local government workers in the state.
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“The backlog has been there for decades. From 1976 to 1986 is one decade; 1986 -1996, two decades; 1996-2006, three decades; almost getting to four decades”, Elder Effiong Essien, Head of Civil Service in the state said.
While speaking on a state-based radio recently, Elder Essien said government is “putting things in place” to clear the backlog.
“His Excellency cleared 10 years backlog of pensions since he came into office and is ready to do something like that with the gratuities. The government is consistent in payment, so it will go far in clearing the backlog”, the Head of Civil Service added.
Government sources who did not want to be named said the next batch of payment to the retired teachers and their next-of-kin is being processed.
